Licensed professionals emphasise the importance of adhering to building codes, quality materials, and safety protocols, which are often neglected by quack builders, resulting in dangerous and poorly constructed buildings.
Recommendations to address the issue include increasing funding for regulatory bodies, establishing effective monitoring units, providing continuous professional training, conducting public awareness campaigns, and ensuring that only accredited professionals handle construction projects.
Aisha, a resilient mother in Lagos, experienced a life-altering tragedy when her apartment building suddenly collapsed. She had moved into her new apartment with her two children, full of hope for the future.
However, within a year, cracks appeared, and the building showed signs of severe stress.
One tragic evening, as the family gathered for dinner, the building collapsed, burying Aisha and her children under the rubble.
Neighbours rushed to help, but the devastation was severe. Aisha lost her youngest child and sustained serious injuries.
Investigations revealed that the building was constructed by an unqualified builder using substandard materials and ignoring safety regulations.
Aisha’s heartbreaking story is not an isolated incident. Between 1974 and 2019, over 221 buildings collapsed across Nigerian cities, with Lagos alone witnessing 167 cases between 2000 and 2021, according to the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG).
These collapses have displaced over 6,000 households and caused an estimated property loss of $3.2 trillion, the BCPG reports.
Widespread proliferation of quacks
In Nigeria’s building and construction sector, a troubling challenge persists the widespread proliferation of quacks.
These individuals engage in construction work without the necessary licenses, certifications, or expertise.
This includes graduates of professional courses who have yet to obtain relevant licenses and work without the supervision of a licensed expert.
Expert insights on the impacts
To understand the impacts, Nairametrics spoke to several licensed professionals.
Kingsley Cletus, an architect licensed with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), highlighted severe consequences such as structural failures and building collapses when unqualified individuals design building structures.
Cletus explained that buildings designed by unqualified individuals often require extensive repairs or complete reconstruction, resulting in significant financial losses for owners.
Additionally, he stated that quacks may overlook essential aspects of design, such as proper ventilation and natural lighting, leading to unhealthy environments. Incorrect designs can also increase the risk of fire due to improper electrical layouts and lack of fire safety measures.
Cletus stated, “Quacks often overlook essential design aspects like proper ventilation and natural lighting, leading to unhealthy environments. Their incorrect designs can also increase the risk of fire due to improper electrical layouts and inadequate fire safety measures.”
Not adhering to local building codes, inability to manage building space, overdesign and sub-par designs, and competition with quacks who offer lower prices for substandard work, thereby undermining the profession’s integrity, are additional impacts of quacks in the architectural space that the architect mentioned.
Babatunji Adegoke, a licensed civil engineer and construction management advisor accredited by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), emphasised that unqualified individuals, not being licensed by relevant regulatory bodies, remain undocumented and unaccountable.
This lack of oversight allows them to engage in practices that violate COREN regulations.
He stressed that civil engineers licensed with COREN are acutely aware of the importance of adhering to regulations in their projects, as negligence could lead to disastrous consequences and the revocation of their licenses.
This accountability ensures that licensed professionals remain diligent, a safeguard that quacks do not have.
“Licensed civil engineers understand the critical importance of adhering to regulations because any negligence can result in disastrous consequences and the loss of their licenses. This level of accountability ensures that we remain diligent and responsible, unlike quack builders who operate without such safeguards,” Adegoke stated.
An anonymous builder accredited by the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and practicing in Lagos for over a decade, highlighted that the quest for cheaper construction options has led to the rise of unqualified builders, resulting in critical issues.
He pointed out that licensed builders strictly adhere to building codes, obtain necessary permits, use proper techniques, conduct essential soil tests, and maintain strict safety protocols.
They collaborate with architects and engineers, ensure high-quality materials, and supervise the construction process to guarantee top-notch workmanship.
In contrast, he said quack builders cut corners, use substandard materials, neglect safety protocols, and lack proper planning and documentation, leading to unsafe and poor-quality construction. They often skip vital steps like soil testing, risking future structural failures and collapses.
Recommendations to tackle quackery
Adegoke recommended that the Federal Government consistently fund and increase financial support for regulatory bodies such as COREN, the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), ARCON, CORBON, and the Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON).
He emphasized that the enhanced funding would enable these bodies to effectively combat the proliferation of quacks by regulating their respective fields and fulfilling their statutory responsibilities.
Adegoke also stressed the need for regulatory bodies to establish effective monitoring units to oversee professional practices and eliminate quackery.
Additionally, he recommended continuous training to enhance the capacity of professionals and strict enforcement of laws against practicing without proper qualifications or licenses.
The anonymous builder suggested the creation of neighbourhood alert systems for reporting observed poor construction works and buildings showing signs of structural failure. This, he argued, would help reduce the number of quacks handling building projects.
He also recommended regular public awareness campaigns on best building practices and the construction of good structures to achieve better standards, ensuring that citizens hire only duly licensed professionals.
Furthermore, Cletus, the architect earlier referenced, suggested that more should be done in terms of legislation to deter quacks in the construction and building industry, serving as a deterrent to those who might attempt to undertake construction work without proper qualifications.
He also advised that, given the insufficiency of state government officials to effectively monitor the construction industry, there should be a partnership between state governments and duly qualified and licensed private sector experts in the built environment industry.
This collaboration could help in monitoring, vetting development activities, and other related tasks to promote strict adherence to established rules and regulations in the construction industry.
Bottom line
The proliferation of quack builders in Nigeria’s construction industry has led to numerous structural failures, financial losses, and safety hazards.
Licensed professionals stress the importance of adhering to building codes, using quality materials, and following safety protocols—practices often neglected by unqualified builders.
To address this issue, it is crucial to enhance funding for regulatory bodies, establish effective monitoring units, provide continuous professional training, and conduct public awareness campaigns.
Ensuring that only accredited professionals handle construction projects is essential to safeguarding lives, properties, and the integrity of the building industry in Nigeria.
